I think the answer is drove
If you are referring to concrete and abstract nouns, then "North America" would be considered a concrete noun, as one can physically touch the earth in Canada and say, "I am touching North America". If it were an abstract noun, such as fear, one would be unable to physically interact with it, as one cannot physically touch an emotion or idea.
Connotation involves all of the positive and negative things associated with a word. Words with the same denotation (meaning) can have very different connotations.
for example: calling someone who dislikes spending money thrifty budget-savvy is very different from calling that person stingy or scrooge.